Punishment
by Graciously Grieving
Summary: After a fight Draco and Ron are sent to Dumbledore for punishment, and Dumbledore is determined to make them at least get along. Kind of a sucky summary but you'll just have to read to actually find out what I mean.
1. The Punishment

**AN:** OMG! I'm back. Yeah, I slightly fell off the face of the Earth, but I couldn't think of anything to write for a long time, but then I did, so here it is and I hope you like it...oh and the italics is a memory...might want to mention that.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any rights to Harry Potter

* * *

The trio walked down the corridor to the Great Hall. It was the first day back from summer. It had been the longest summer for Ron in his life. He had to spend it with someone he'd really had preferred not to.

They had been walking slowly behind a group of Ravenclaws. When someone barged their way pass, nearly knocking all of them over. When they looked up the blonde hair was undeniable. Malfoy shot a disgusted glance at Ron, then continued on his way.

"Malfoy sure is starting early this year. He's already horrid." Hermione said as she gathered her composure again.

"That's because he spent the summer at my house and he's not particularly happy about it." Ron replied sullenly.

"For what reason?" The shock was evident in her voice.

"The ministry was conducting an inspection of the Malfoy Manor and made sure that they were all placed in what they thought "secure" homes until the inspection was over."

"That must've killed you. No wonder I didn't hear from you towards the end of summer." Harry said taking a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"It was horrible. He was the most ungrateful git I ever had to share my room with."

"You had to share your room with him?"

"Of course, mine was the only one free to. He couldn't stay with Ginny, and Mum wouldn't send him near Fred and George's, and Percy wouldn't even open his door to family, so that left mine. And that's where he stayed…for a month.

"Everything was 'What the hell do you call that?', 'What's this?', 'That's horrid.', 'How do you live here?' or 'That looks like it belongs in the garbage.' Oh the first night he was there I'd never been so happy to turn off my light…"

_11 o'clock at the Burrow arrived like any other. It was a bright summer day and the boys were all getting up as Ginny and Mrs. Weasley made lunch for them._

_Then Mr. Weasley appeared at the door as they all were coming down._

"_Arthur what are you doing home so early?" Mrs. Weasley was the most surprised to see him._

"_I've brought home our new guest."_

_All the children looked eagerly at their father, but the moment the blonde entered everyone's hopes dropped._

"_Draco, will be staying with us while the Ministry looks into his house." Mr. Weasley said slowly. "And everyone will treat him no different than any other guest…and nothing from the two of you." He said, shooting a very watchful glance at the twins. "Ron, why don't you show Draco to your room, as that'll be where he'll be sleeping."_

"_Where am I supposed to sleep then?" Ron whined._

"_In your room, of course, you'll have to share." Ron saw Draco sneer at the thought. "Now, Ron, please show our guest to your room."_

"_Yes sir." Ron groaned. Draco picked up his bag and dragged after Ron._

_Halfway up the stairs Draco began whining. "How far up do you sleep, Weasel?"_

"_Shut up and come on. You're slowing down and I'm hungry."_

"_That's no way to treat your guest."_

"_You'll be here a month, you're not a guest, you're a pest, Malfoy."_

_The boys made it to Ron's room as Draco was about to retort, but before that comment came, Draco caught sight of the room._

"_This is dreadful, Weasley. You actually sleep in here?"_

"_Lunch is ready downstairs." Ron said leaving before he ending up decking the other boy._

_Draco followed the redhead down the stairs towards the kitchen again. Once he got down he saw the only open chair next to Ron, and took it to sit and eat. Mrs. Weasley placed food in front of all the kids and Draco immediately looked up at her._

"_What is this supposed to be?" _

"_It's a tuna sandwich." Mrs. Weasley said keeping her composure, then she turned and didn't say another word to him for the rest of lunch._

_Finally after a quiet half hour Mrs. Weasley spoke again. "Boys the yard needs to be de-gnomed again."_

_All of them groaned, except for Draco, who didn't know what she was talking about. As they all got up from the table Draco stayed seated until Ron returned to the kitchen and pulled him up out of his seat. _

_Draco only watched as the rest of the boys did all the labor of throwing the gnomes over the hedge. Once he laughed so hard that he began crying as one of the gnomes stuck himself to Fred by biting his nose._

_Ron had gotten so mad at him that he was going to throw one of the gnomes at Draco, but then his father came out and could tell what he was planning and got on to him before he did anything. _

_Once the yard was de-gnomed again, the day passed slowly as no one seemed to want to do anything, nor did anyone want to talk to their "guest". _

_Finally dinner arrived and everyone sat around the table silently eating the food. Draco had turned up his nose to some of it as he pushed it around his plate, but he didn't bother saying anything again._

_When dinner was over there really was nothing else to do, so Ron led Draco up to his room again and got ready for bed._

"_Weasley, you never answered my question…" The blonde said nimbly picking up a blanket on the bed; he looked at it as if it were going to bite him._

"_And what bloody question was that?"_

"_You actually sleep here?"_

"_Shut up Malfoy, believe me, you'll out stay your welcome quickly at the rate you're going and Mum won't tell if we hex you."_

"_You can't hex me, you're all underage."_

"_Actually, Fred and George are 17…so I really would shut my mouth, if I were you."_

_Draco rolled his eyes at the thought, and went back to trying to make his bed, with every second a new turned up nose. _

"_Draco, just make the bed and deal with it." Ron said as he shut out the light before Draco had finished._

"The rest of the summer was all the same, everyday." Ron had finished his memory and was slightly shaking from his anger at the thought of the summer he'd just finished.

"Hey…Hey…" Ron turned in his seat to find Draco calling to him. "That wasn't any great walk in the park for me either, Weasley. You're home was…appalling, to say the least. I could barely stomach the sight of it."

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy."

"Or what? You're brothers aren't here anymore, so what do you have to hang over me?"

Ron noticed Crabbe and Goyle setting up for a fight. "You are one ungrateful, foul git, who will never stand on his own. You're ignorant to everyone but yourself and one day it's going to come back and bite you in the arse and I'm going to laugh."

"What did you say to me? How dare you speak to me like I'm some common house-elf. Don't ever—"

"Or what, Malfoy? You'll sick your goons on me? Of course because you don't know how to stand on your own for the life of you."

Half of the Great Hall was staring in their direction as their voices rose. The teachers hadn't noticed anything just yet.

"You think I can't stand on my own, huh?" Draco had risen from his seat and was walking towards the Gryffindor table when Ron rose from his own.

"I know you can't, Malfoy. It's either 'Crabbe and Goyle…' or 'My father this, my father that…' Never you."

"Why you insolent—" Draco's words were cut short and Ron's fist connected with the side of the blonde's face.

Malfoy stumbled for a second before tackling the other boy to the floor. The teachers had noticed the commotion and by the time they made it over to the two boys fighting on the floor both were bleeding and taking every shot they could get in on one another.

Soon they were being torn apart and screamed at by a very familiar voice. "MR. WEASLEY! MR. MALFOY! Never in all of my life have I had such an act from two young wizards take place in the middle of the sorting ceremony. And never have I been so disappointed in my students. Both of your houses will start in the whole for this behavior…50 points from both of you and off to Professor Dumbledore's office for him to decide your actual punishment. You'll not eat at the feast and will wait until he is done with his before you see him. Now off!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang off the walls in the Hall.

Draco and Ron stormed out of the Great Hall, with the Gryffindors cheering Ron on behind them, because someone finally put Draco in his place, but McGonagall quickly quieted them.

It wasn't until an hour later that Dumbledore came to his office and showed the boys up. The two stood in the middle of the room both still livid.

"The two of you should be expelled for such an act such as that, however, I've come up with something else, something more useful…" He paused and stared at the confused faces of the students. "I know the two of you spent a month at each other's side, and that's where all this anger has come from, but the two of you will learn to cooperate and be civil, if nothing else, to one another.

"Your punishment is this…you will spend 2 hours together, daily, under the supervision of a teacher until you've proven you can spend it without them. But this punishment will last all year long, no matter how civil you become to one another…it's either the 2 hours a day, or you can explain to your parents why you were expelled.

"Oh, also neither of you will partake in the trips to Hogsmeade or the school activities for this year. And that is my final word, now boys, have a good night and I don't want to see you in my office again." He said with a smile and opening his door to them from his seat.

Ron and Draco left without a word, and didn't even look at one another until they were far away from Dumbledore's office.

"You know it's your fault for being so ungrateful."

"Don't speak to me, Weasley. I have nothing to say to you." The blonde turned and headed for the dungeons. "Oh and if you ever lay a finger on me again, I will make you regret the day you were born, Weasel." The blonde vanished around the corner, leaving Ron staring hatefully after the other for a moment more, and then he left towards his own common room.

* * *

**AN:** Well there it is. I borrowed the thought of the summer thing from a friend, that she graciously allowed. hehe. Well it's only the beginning so nothing really intimate just yet, but it'll get there. 


	2. Detention

**AN**: I am SOOO sorry that this is so late...but yeah I barely had time off of work and when I did I didn't have the computer, but here is chapter two, I hope you like it, and thanks to all of my reviewers.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the characters, nor any rights to Harry Potter.

* * *

The trio sat in the Great Hall, finishing up their homework. No one had spoken of Ron's lashing out or his upcoming detention with Malfoy.

In fact Ron had barely said a word since before the fight. He didn't want to talk about how he'd lost so many points for the house before the year had started to earn such points, or that he'd let Malfoy get under his skin so badly he lashed out, or about the fact that his first detention was under the supervision of Professor Snape.

Ron was just finishing up his Charms Essay when Professor McGonagall came up behind him. "Mr. Weasley, your parents are waiting for you in Professor Dumbledore's office." Ron paled almost immediately. "Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes Professor, I'm coming." The redhead stood trembling and looked at his friends before he actually left. They looked at him with the utmost sympathy for him.

Harry and Hermione watched as their friend slowly left the Great Hall without looking back.

"You know he's in trouble if his parents came all the way to the school instead of just sending another Howler." Hermione said gravely.

All Harry could do was nod and watch after the empty doorway that his best friend had just abandoned for what seemed doom for him.

Ron walked the same path that he had the night before, only this time he wasn't angry nor going to just receive punishment, tonight he felt he'd be lucky just to stay long enough to carry out his punishment. His pace slowed as he remembered the last time he'd gotten in trouble with his parents, his mother had told him the next time he stepped out of line they were bringing him home, and here they were in Hogwarts asking for him.

He'd reached the statue up to Dumbledore's, the stairs were already raised and waiting for him to tread up them. The climb seemed to take forever tonight. It was almost as if they'd added a few dozen here and there. When he reached the top he heard some raised voices and realized they weren't his parents, but Lucius Malfoy's, and a woman's voice he'd never heard before, but only thought it could be Draco's mother's.

He'd let out a sight of relief when he was hit from behind by something, or more correctly, someone. "What are you relieved about, Weasel? Just because my father is louder than yours doesn't mean that you're off the hook." The blonde passed him in the hall to the Headmaster's.

Both boys entered the room side by side to see their parents furious and looking on the verge of killing. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy stood to one side boring a hole through Ron, accusing him of provoking their son into this trouble, without saying a word. On the other side Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were thinking the same of Draco.

It was silent for a good minute before anyone said anything, and the first to say something wasn't the one anyone wanted saying anything at that moment.

"Well, it seems the boys have made their way up here, now might I ask as to why they were both summoned? For all any of you told me, was that you wanted to see your son, well there they are, but do mind that I would let any harm come to them, in my presence or not…" His attention turned to Lucius, who just gave him the infamous Malfoy smile and looked back at his son.

"All I wish to know is who started the fight…as I'm sure so is everyone else. And the only people who know that true answer would be them." Narcissa Malfoy said quietly from behind her husband, she'd seemed to calm down more from earlier.

"Malfoy."

"Weasley."

Both boys looked at each other frustrated. "Malfoy, you were the one throwing around insults, so in all of it, you started it."

"You were the one that threw the first punch though, Weasel."

"And you wonder why your son has no friends, Lucius? He's lucky more people don't deck him for the way he treats people…but I guess that's because he's just like his father."

"Excuse me, Arthur? You are just upset that your son is violent, and he's the one that in truth started the fight."

"I'm talking about the name calling, Malfoy."

"He only calls him by his name."

"You know our last name is not Weasel. Are you ever going to have respect for others?"

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, this is not an argument between yourselves, but your children, though your actions between one another prove that the blame cannot be held upon your children completely, though I would hope they'd have more sense at times." Dumbledore said looking at Ron, who flushed a pale pink.

"I will not stand for my son being forced to spend time with that child." The older blonde retorted violently. He turned and faced Ron, who immediately paled again. "Nor will I allow you to take away Draco's Hogsmeade privileges."

"They may have those back if they prove themselves worthy of that privilege. It is just that Lucius, a privilege, and they were bad and got it taken away, like anything else."

"It may do the children some good, if they were to spend time with someone not like themselves, it shows them different people do exist and shouldn't just be shunned because they are different than themselves." Mrs. Weasley said confidently.

"Of course you would think such a thing." Mrs. Malfoy replied. "Though I don't agree with your sentiment, I do think it best to allow Dumbledore's punishment, for he has always known what is best for the children." Lucius stared at his wife hard in disbelief. "Allow it Lucius, and let's just get out of here before you end up getting into a childish fight much like the children."

Ron couldn't believe that the woman that thought, in a sense, rationally was the mother of the blonde beside him. He raised an eyebrow to her actions as she pulled her husband to the door.

"This is not over; you have not heard the end of my side of this…" Narcissa finally got her husband all the way out the door and his words trailed, as he began fussing at her for her actions.

Dumbledore then turned his attention the Weasleys, and made notion for their final words. Mrs. Weasley turned and faced her son. "Ronald, do behave yourself, if it weren't for the knowledge that you were provoked you would be finding yourself in our living room and staying there, locked away until you were 17." Ron blushed a vivid red that matched his hair uncannily.

Mrs. Weasley began pulling her husband out the door much in the same manner as the woman before her. She gave her son a kiss on the head which he quickly brushed her off for, then they left, leaving the boys to face Dumbledore again.

"As I said, I do not blame you for the two of you hating one another, for as anyone can see your fathers have a rivalry that you'll never live up to no matter how old you get. Though do take caution as you are in your detentions, I hear of any kind of confrontation between the two of you and you will be out of the school." He said before waving them off.

Without a word of argument the boys left. Walking down the stairs, Ron decided he'd say what he'd been thinking during the whole fight of their parents. "Do you really think that the only reason why we hate one another is because our fathers do?" The blonde paused on the last step.

"I think at this moment, I'd hate you even if our parents didn't." Then he disappeared around the corner towards his common room.

The other boy rolled his eyes and shrugged it off. He walked back towards his common room knowing that study hall was over and his friends would be back in the common room waiting for dinner.

-------------------------

Draco walked into the Slytherin Common Room and collapsed on the big leather couch. No one was in the room; he assumed they were all in their rooms preparing for dinner, but in all honesty he didn't really care either way. He just wanted to be alone, and think about the madness that had just unfolded in front of his eyes moments before.

After the fight upstairs between his father and Ron's he'd realized just how much alike they were to their fathers. Draco felt slightly light-headed in the thought that he was so much like his father, for he never wanted to think himself as menacing, or as conniving as his father. He knew he was both, but he didn't think he was as much, until both Dumbledore and Ron had pointed it out.

Did they really hate one another because their fathers did, well yes of course, but Draco just felt that there was more than that to it. Yes, he was raised to believe that the Weasleys were traitors to the Wizarding World, and that they were unworthy of his friendship, but he felt as if there was something more that made him pick on Ron more than he probably should.

But before Draco began to think about it too much or find answers to his questions, Pansy walked in and told him it was time for dinner and they should be leaving soon or they'd have to sit at bad parts of the table. Draco obliged and followed the dark-haired girl out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.

-------------------------

Meanwhile Ron had found himself in a very empty Gryffindor Common Room. He'd had thought everyone would be here, but there was no one. Not wanting to be alone at the moment Ron turned and left to go and find someone…anyone he could talk to.

After wandering around the corridors for a few minutes he saw Harry and Hermione sitting outside the Great Hall. They both looked up and saw him at the same time. Both were just happy to see he was still in Hogwarts. Ron smiled as he saw them relieve themselves of heavy breaths.

"Ron, we are so happy you are still here."

"Yeah, we were beginning to slightly worry that your parents had taken you home with them."

Ron just laughed. "I was worried about that, but no, in fact my father and Draco's father began to get really heated with one another before both mothers took them away. It was rather interesting, because I've never seen Lucius Malfoy loose himself like he did."

"Wow, I would've paid to see Mr. Malfoy unwound."

"Harry, that's not funny." Hermione was already backing into her motherly mode. "He's dangerous when he's himself, do you really think he's not more dangerous when he's backed into a corner?"

"Sometimes I wonder about you Hermione." Was the only response she got, which frustrated her so much she walked in for dinner without the boys.

"So, are you ready for you first detention with Malfoy yet?" It was the first mention of the detention sentence. Ron looked over at his best friend.

"Never in a million years will I be ready to be on my own in a room with Malfoy and Snape…" Ron caught a flicker of a smile on the passing blonde as he finished his sentence. "He has the upper hand; I'll never have the upper hand, because there's not a teacher that'll take sides like Snape."

"Well I'm wishing you luck now."

------------------------------

8 o'clock chimed as Ron stared at the dungeon door not wanting to go in and face an inevitably horrid detention. But he figured he should probably enter before the last chime or face Snape telling him he was already late.

The door swung open to reveal a young blonde sitting far to the right and an older man standing in front of a chalkboard staring at the entrant.

"Take a seat, Mr. Weasley." Ron walked towards the left, but was stopped before reaching a desk. "As much as I don't want my classroom destroyed, I've been told by Professor Dumbledore that you two must sit next to one another…so, Mr. Weasley, take your seat." Snape pointed at the seat next to the blonde. Ron look absolutely mortified and Draco's hand immediately shot into the air. "No protest Mr. Malfoy."

Ron dragged himself over to the empty seat next to his rival, the boy that had gotten them into this situation. He noticed Draco's eyes were colder than ever as he took his seat.

"Now the two of you should have homework to do, for I assigned it, I will be in my office preparing for tomorrow, if I hear the slightest sound of a quarrel, I'll be back. As I said boys, I don't wish for my classroom to be destroyed, so behave or both of you will be out of here."

Ron noticed that Snape actually wasn't giving Draco any kind of special treatment in his speech. He figured Snape was probably so upset at Draco's performance, because it looked bad upon him.

The older man walked out. For a moment neither boy moved; then the blonde turned to the other. "You do realize that this is _your_ fault, right?"

"How do you figure that, Malfoy?"

"It's not my fault that you have a temper that you can't keep under control is all."

"Oh, so you insulting me every five seconds has nothing to do with it, right? You're completely clean."

The blonde just shrugged. "You said that, not me."

"Malfoy."

"Shut up, Weasel. If you raise your voice at me, he'll be back and then where will we be? I'll tell you, on a train _home_."

Ron stared at the other boy in sheer hatred. "Malfoy, one day this will all come back to you, and you will have a horrible life with a horrid wife and no love between the two of you and nothing good to show off for everything you've ever done, for everyone won't be as afraid of you as they are your father. Needless to say, you have nothing on your father."

Draco stared at the redhead half in hatred and the other half in amazement, then without warning smacked the other boy from behind. Ron looked at him in utter shock and was about to retaliate when the older man walked back out. Both boys froze and looked at him.

Snape stared at them hard, and looked as if trying to read them and see if anything had happened he should know about. "Mr. Malfoy, keep your hands to yourself please." Then he left again.

Ron wanted to just pick up his stuff and leave, he was so angry at the older man; then he turned to the other boy. "You're never going to get into trouble, no matter what you do, are you?"

"I'm never going to get into trouble, Weasley? What the bloody hell do you call this?"

"You touched me, you should be out of here, but no, since we're in oh lovely Snape's you won't get into anything—"

"Shut up." Draco clasped his hand over the other's mouth. "You're raising your voice."

Draco removed his hand. "What's it matter to you, if I get in trouble, I'll be gone." The blonde stared thoughtfully at this comment, but couldn't come up with a response. For he knew it was true that, he wouldn't get in trouble in Snape's classroom, no matter what he'd done before, but Ron would, and yet he still stopped the redhead every time from getting to loud and getting kicked out.

Ron just rolled his eyes at the other's silence and took out his potions book and began doing the mound of homework the older man had assigned just a few hours before.

Neither boy spoke to one another for the rest of the detention, though every now and then they'd find themselves giving the other one a glance or a stare.

Finally Snape returned to the room and released both boys, who greatly gathered their things and left without another look back.

* * *

**AN**: Whoot...well another chapter down and a slow progression into feelings...but I hoped you liked it, and I'll try and update sooner than this one took. 


End file.
